Month: July 2012

Expats living in Muslim countries “know the deal”…We know that during the month of Ramadan things change. We know that whether we like it or not we have to adjust our daily activities. Ramadan offers us a great opportunity to both feel the experience of living abroad and evaluate our daily flow.

From a security perspective, the moth of Ramadan is an ideal time to take a step back and evaluate your routines, driving routes, walks, runs, neighborhood, etc.

Ramadan Awareness

There is a confirmed report that two shops located in the main Carrefour food court area were closed yesterday by the police. According to one report the officers closed the shops for the “protection of the store attendants”. It is no secret that a small number of conservative Muslims have been going around town trying to persuade cafe owners to close their stores during the day.

Nevertheless, there are many cafes and restaurants open during the fasting hours. A contact on twitter reported that in the “Lac 2 there are a lot of restaurants doing very good lunch business.” Additionally, it is good to know that we live in a mostly tolerant and friendly Muslim country and most people understand that not everyone is fasting. Conversely we should respect local customs and “when in Rome…”

Like this:

I was feeling really good coming back to Tunis. After visiting family and friends in the Dominican Republic I was looking forward to returning home and eager to get back to what I do best. During my time away, I still managed to keep up with things in Tunis and for the most part it seemed to be going smoothly. My optimism was high as my family and I waited to go through customs when suddenly an intense argument broke out among the Tunisian customs police.

Carthage International Airport

It all started with a uniformed police officer shouting at what appeared to be a colleague of his and then it was pure madness. Children started crying and there was a sense of panic in the air, but luckily supervisors stepped up and the fiasco was moved to a private office.

“Welcome Back…” I thought to myself.

Summer Summary

Since our last posting on June 22, 2012, no major security updates have been issued. The Canadian Embassy did well by reminding their citizens to “use discretion when drinking, eating, and smoking in public between sunrise and sunset” during Ramadan which should conclude on the 18th or 19th of August.

Here are a few informative articles for Expats who have been wisely enjoying their time off and not following the news:

Article: Arab Spring falters, but Tunisian democracy thrives
Source: The Miami Herald by NOAH FELDMAN
Key Quote: “Tunisia is not all the way there, but having visited the country this month, I found it hard to escape the conclusion that this is what a democratic revolution is supposed to look like.”